The Fake Pill Box
by Tyretest
Summary: When a visiting Canadian Internet Crime expert's life is threatened, Horatio and his team try to protect her and find the criminals that want her dead.
1. Prologue

"The reality is that these no prescription required 'online pharmacies' represent the new drug dealers of the Internet. Currently, there are enough medications – both prescription and illicit – which can be easily accessed by teenagers and others, to be of significant concern both socially and legally. Legislation is at least five years behind the technology and uses of the Internet. Until legislation and enforcement catch up with the types and volumes of criminal activity on the Internet, we can expect to see many more children overdose and/or die as a result of prescription and counterfeit drugs…"

It was the sudden mid-sentence stop by the speaker on the stage that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end. The rather attractive woman's abrupt disappearance from the speakers' podium was what had him reaching for his service revolver, and instinct had him moving towards the stage, even as he turned to look for the shooter he was convinced was hidden somewhere behind him, waiting to finish the job.

Cassandre wasn't sure what had happened at first. She though a Major League Baseball pitcher had hit her left shoulder with a fastball. The force of the blow had knocked her down on her back and left her breathless. As soon as she hit the stage floor, Cassandre felt a hot, searing pain shoot through her shoulder. With the pain came the stunning realization that she had been shot. Immediately on the heels of realizing how much danger she was in, Cassandre took what little action she could. With her right hand pressed firmly over the bullet hole in her shoulder, Cassandre drew in a deep breath and yelled a warming at the top of her lungs.

"Gun!"

Audience members looked confused and dazed by the situation, then as the blood from Cassandre's shoulder became visible under her hand, they turned every which was to escape. Seeing a determined and hard-looking man with a gun in their midst, many of the audience members panicked and began running in chaotic directions, completely unsure in their fear of what to do next. Cassandre looked up briefly to see the man with the gun coming to finish the job he'd started. He head fell back on the floor and her eyes closed in defeat as she accepted the fact that she was going to die – right then and there. One of these low-life, scum-sucking drug dealers that she had been chasing for years had finally won the war. She was going to die.

Even with her eyes closed, Cassandre felt the physical presence of the man with the gun. She braced for the final moment of pain, but the man waited. After an eternity, Cassandre opened her eyes, curious. She was looking into a pair of the most beautifully concerned blue eyes she had ever seen. Suddenly the world came back into focus, and she heard the blue-eyed gunman's voice.

"…Dade Conference Centre. One down, non-critical wound to the left shoulder. Requesting back-up and a bus now." The red-haired man hung up his cell phone, and turned to Cassandre.

"Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Miami-Dade P.D. Are you hurt anywhere other than your shoulder, ma'am?"

Relief flooded her soul. He was a police officer. She was going to live to see another day. Looking up into those beautiful concerned blue eyes, Cassandre decided to try and be serious, but it came out wrong.

"No. Lucky for me that most drug dealers are notoriously bad shots."

The police officer – Lieutenant Caine – smiled, and Cassandre could see laughter dancing in his expressive eyes.

"Hmm, yes. Pre-meditated murder is a little beyond most of them."

And with that comment, Lieutenant Caine took over applying pressure to her wounded shoulder.


	2. Chapter 1

Eric was lifting his kit out the back of his Hummer when Ryan pulled up to the Conference Centre. Ryan retrieved his kit, and glanced over at Eric.

"H sounded a little bothered when he called me. You think he's a bit annoyed?"

Eric pondered the question for a moment. "Nah. I think he's a bit bothered over this shooting because while this woman isn't one of our own, she's pretty close. A lawyer that attacks drug dealers, pedophiles and crooks on the Internet - pretty impressive."

Ryan nodded in agreement and they walked inside the Conference Centre. Through the double doors into the main room of the Centre, they walked up to Horatio, and gave him a moment to collect his thoughts before saying a word.

"Gentlemen, here's our situation. Somewhere in this room is the evidence we need to get this shooter. I can't say where anymore, since the mad panicked exit by the guests has mixed everything up. I do know that the shot was fired from behind me, and I was seated about here. Eric, you check the back half of this room. Ryan, you have the front. Any questions?"

"Just one H. Where's Calleigh today?"

"She's on her way to the hospital to retrieve the bullet left in our victim, Eric. Natalia is collecting cell phones, notes, pictures and anything else that may help from the audience while Frank questions the attendees. I'm heading to the hospital myself now to question our victim, although I suspect she knows less about who shot her than we do right now."

Horatio turned and walked out the double doors. Eric and Ryan opened their kits, pulled on gloves and got to work. They had a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of manpower to get the job done.

******************************************************************************************************************

Cassandre LaSalle. An interesting woman, at least Horatio thought so. She was a puzzle that he'd need to unravel if he was going to keep her alive. Sitting in the hospital's surgery waiting room, he was about to go through her personal possessions. He felt guilty about invading her privacy, but he was certain she would understand the need. He pulled out her wallet, noting that she carried only bank debit cards, and a very small amount of cash – and most of that was in Canadian bills.

The ID badge in her purse claimed she was a Senior Barrister with the Federal Ministry of Justice in Canada. A quick call on his cell phone to her secretary in Ottawa, Ontario had netted him a bit of information on her. Cassandre was the Chairperson of the Internet Crimes Task Force in Canada. Her job was to investigate Internet crime in all it's forms, develop legislation to counteract those criminal activities and to work in cooperation with other jurisdictions and countries to make sure that enforcement of laws was possible. Cassandre's specialty and passion was illicit drug dealing over the Internet – what she was here in Miami giving a speech on when she was shot.

Her cell phone suddenly beeped and vibrated. Curious, Horatio picked it up, surprised to see that she had just received a text message from an M Taylor with a New York area code. Flipping open his cell phone, he dialed the number listed on Cassandre's cell phone, and waited while it rang.

"Afternoon. Taylor here."

"Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Miami-Dade P.D. Is this Detective Mac Taylor, New York Crime Lab?"

"Sure is Caine. How are you? It's been a long time." Mac replied.

"Too long, Mac. Listen, I'm actually calling you about a case I'm working on. Seems you may be involved."

"I'll help you out any way I can. What do you need?"

"How do you know Cassandre LaSalle?" Horatio asked.

"Something happen to Cassandre?" Mac's concern was apparent in his voice.

"She was shot in the left shoulder while delivering a seminar here in Miami this morning. I was in the audience when it happened. She's in surgery now, and it's not life threatening, but I want to catch whoever did this to her. What can you tell me about Cassandre?"

Mac's sigh of relief was audible. "Quite a bit, and at the same time, not a lot. She's a very private person. I met her two years ago working on a big drug case involving shipping drugs from Canada to New York using the Internet. She and I became friends, and have stayed in touch ever since. I knew she was in Miami and just sent her a text message to call you, since I thought you might like to meet her. She's the best at what she does, Caine. She makes life very difficult for criminals doing business over the Internet, and she's a brilliant lawyer. I know she gets death threats on a regular basis, but none of them have ever been serious, until now."

"Any way I can get a list of the threats against her and possible suspects?"

"Yes. Contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They take care of security for her when she's in Canada. I'm surprised that no request was made for security from Miami-Dade P.D. for her. Someone is going to be extremely unhappy up there in Ottawa."

"Listen Mac, the doctor has just come out to talk to me. I'll keep you updated on how we make out here with catching this shooter. Thanks for the info."

"For Cassandre, anytime you need anything, let me know. I want to help if I can."

"I appreciate the support, and I'm sure Cassandre will. I'll let her know, and I'll keep you in the loop. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Caine."

*****************************************************************************************************************

Dr. Travers was pretty sure he'd died and gone to heaven. The absolutely stunning blonde making her way towards him was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. All set to come out with a flirtatious greeting, the wind was taken out of his sails the moment the woman introduced herself.

"Detective Duquesne, Miami-Dade Crime Lab. You're the doctor treating Cassandre LaSalle?" she queried as she extended her hand to him in greeting.

Sighing in disappointment, he supplied the sexy detective with the bullet he'd dug out of the Canadian woman's shoulder, and a quick description of the surgery and her prognosis. The detective eyed up the bullet in the plastic container, and then muttered something to herself.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Travers asked.

"Nine millimeter with a twist. Interesting gun choice. I'm the Crime Lab's ballistics expert." Calleigh Duquesne explained. "I can't wait to get this baby under a microscope and see what the bullet will tell me."

Oh Lord. Travers was sure he'd just fallen in love. Then the red-haired Lieutenant joined them, and from the protective look in the man's blue eyes, all bets were off. Sighing, Travers answered the Lieutenant's questions, and then went on his way.

Some days the fates were just plain cruel.

***************************************************************************************************************

Cassandre looked pale and fragile lying in the hospital bed with tubes and wires connected to her. It was a stark contrast from the strong woman speaking on the podium at the Conference Centre just hours ago. Horatio mentally sighed and turned his mind from personal observations to business.

Walking up to the side of Cassandre's bed, he touched her hand lightly as he murmured her name. She gasped in surprise, but relaxed the moment she saw his face.

"Lieutenant."

"Ms. LaSalle. How are you feeling?" Horatio inquired.

"I've had better days, Lieutenant. If you have questions for me, I'll try to answer them, but everything's a little fuzzy right now."

"I have just one question. Did you receive any death threats once you got here to Miami, before you were shot?"

Cassandre concentrated on remembering, then a light of understanding gleamed in her eye. "I got a strange message at the hotel when I arrived. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it could be important. It was anonymous, and all it said was 'Time to smell the roses is running out, my dear.' I though it was a message meant for someone else, and tossed it into my room's waste basket. It should still be there."

"I'll have someone from my lab retrieve it, and I'll be back to see you in the morning. The doctor tells me he's keeping you overnight, just to make sure everything is fine. Is there anything you need, that we can arrange to provide for you?"

"My laptop?" Cassandre asked without guile.

Horatio chuckled. "I'll do my best, but no promises."

*****************************************************************************************************************

It was such an odd thing to find that Eric was positive he'd found important evidence. In a building with a strict no-smoking policy, there should not have been a cigarette butt lying on the floor. Bagging and tagging the butt, Eric decided to test his theory a little further. Looking around, he searched for anything else out of place.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a gleam of reflection from his flashlight along the crevice of the observation window on the upper floor of the Conference center. Getting out his tweezers, Eric pulled out a shell casing.

If Eric was right, they now had the attempted murderer's DNA, a shell casing, and a bullet. In the world of forensics, that was the grand slam of evidence. Horatio should be pretty satisfied with their findings for the beginning investigation of this case. Eric bagged the shell casing as well.

Humming happily to himself, Eric packed up his kit and headed back downstairs to see how Ryan was making out.

******************************************************************************************************************

Author's Note: My apologies for the delay in updating this story. I lost my Internet Connection for a couple of weeks. Thanks also for the reviews, I appreciate it, and was quite pleasantly surprised to get them. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much.


	3. Chapter 2

The Fake Pill Box: Chapter Two

Author's Note: Yeah, I know. It's been FAR too long. I also know I just made this a cross-over with General Hospital, but how could I resist borrowing a character as fantastic as Jason Morgan? Putting Horatio Caine and Jason Morgan together was just too much to resist, considering how they are both opposite and so similar. This story should get more regular updates going forward.

Confused wasn't the word for how Horatio felt right now. He was downright stumped and concerned. Glancing at the paperwork in his hand again, he read over the information Eric had given him. Repeat offender, violent criminal element, known Mob Enforcer. This was the description of the man sitting in an interrogation room of the lab right now, waiting to speak to him about Cassandre LaSalle. The day after she was nearly murdered by an unknown suspect involved in the drug trade, this man shows up at his lab asking about her. It made no sense. Sighing, Horatio tucked the paperwork in the folder in his hand, pushed the door of the interrogation room open, and stepped inside.

"Mr. Morgan? I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine. I understand you're looking for information on Cassandre LaSalle."

"I am. How is she? Where is she?"

"I'm not at liberty to give you that information, Mr. Morgan. I am, however, curious as to why you're here and your connection to Ms. LaSalle. "

Morgan sighed in frustration. This Lieutenant must have run a check on him. This Caine guy knew what he was, and wasn't going to give him information. Not for the first time, Jason cursed his chosen profession and the problems it created for him.

"Look, Caine. I understand your concern, but I promise you, I mean Ms. LaSalle no harm. I just need to speak to her. I can't explain why, but it's important."

"Not good enough, Mr. Morgan. I doubt you understand my concern, or what motivates it. I'm not letting you anywhere near Ms. LaSalle. Not until I know why it's so important."

"How about because I can protect her and you can't?" Jason demanded in frustration, looking up at the Lieutenant.

"Trust me, Mr. Morgan. I can and will protect her. I don't need you to tell me what I can and cannot do."

Jason looked square into the ice blue eyes of the lieutenant, and was startled by what he saw. This Caine cop understood Cass's value. He cared just as much as Jason did about her. This was a complication he hadn't expected. It made things more difficult. However, perhaps he could work with the Lieutenant for Cass's benefit.

Jason grimaced and looked away, but not before Horatio saw what he needed to know. Morgan wasn't here on business at all. Cassandre LaSalle was personal for him. Whatever her connection to this man, Horatio had no doubt this man loved her and would give up his life for her. The power of Morgan's feelings was lingering the air, an almost tangible thing. Horatio made a decision, hoping it was the right one.

Pulling out his cell phone, Horatio turned his back on Morgan. He quickly dialed Ryan's cell number and waited for Wolfe to answer.

"Mr. Wolfe, would you do me a favour? Put Ms. LaSalle on the phone for me. Yes." He waited, glancing over his shoulder at Morgan who had turned back to face him and straightened up in attention.

"Ms. LaSalle? Do you know a Jason Morgan?"

Jason had to keep from smirking at the surprised look on the lieutenant's face. "Yes, he's here with me at the lab right now. Alright, I'll bring him over to see you. You're sure? Fine. We'll be there soon." Caine snapped the cell phone shut.

"Let's go, Morgan. It seems she wants to see you, too."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Somewhere in the back of Horatio's mind an ugly demon reared its head. He didn't like seeing the loving relationship between Cassandre and this man, Jason Morgan. It bothered him a great deal, and increased his confusion over his feelings for this woman and this case. Whatever the connection between these two people, it felt wrong to him. He felt like a judgmental interloper. Like being pulled back through a fog, Horatio suddenly realized that Morgan was talking to him.

"I'll wait outside for you, Caine. We have a few things to discuss yet."

Horatio nodded his agreement, and watched Morgan leave the room. He turned back to Cassandre, not realizing he had all the questions in his eyes.

"I suppose you want an explanation." Cassandre commented, with sadness in her eyes. Seeing it there, Horatio hesitated.

"Only if you want to tell me. I only needed to know if he was connected to your shooting, and I have figured out he's not. The rest is up to you."

"He is my son's father. He was my lover 16 years ago."

Stunned by this information, Horatio didn't realize he was thinking out loud. "I didn't realize you have a son."

"I don't. Not anymore."

Suddenly, all the pieces fell in to place. She went after drug lords because their poison had killed her son. This wasn't just a job for Cassandre, it was a personal crusade. Morgan was just as she described him, an ex-lover. She would no longer be involved with him because of his chosen profession. But, she wasn't after him, because Horatio was certain the mob business that Morgan was involved in wasn't drug smuggling. She would never tolerate that in anyone connected to her. It also explained Morgan's determination to keep his relationship with her private, and his strong desire to protect Cassandre. Horatio had a feeling he was stuck with Morgan, whether he liked it or not.

"I understand. He's not going to leave this investigation to me, is he?" Horatio asked.

Cassandre sighed in resignation. "Not bloody likely. Jason tends to be rather, over-protective shall we say, of the people he cares about. He's not going anywhere until he knows I'm safe, and even then, he'll be a constant pain in the tail end about bodyguards and security measures for a few years after. I love that he cares so much, but I wish he wouldn't risk himself for my choices."

"I'll talk to him and see what we can work out. Will you be alright? I don't want to leave you upset." Horatio asked with concern.

Cassandre reached out and took his hand. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." She smiled.

Horatio stroked the back of her hand and smiled. With a nod, he let go of her hand, sighed, and headed out the door of her hospital room to deal with Jason Morgan.

It had been a rather heated discussion and very strained, but Horatio had managed to come to an agreement with Jason Morgan. Morgan was good at protecting people. That was his specialty, apparently. So, Horatio put him in charge of protecting Cassandre. Horatio had no doubt that Morgan would give up his own life for Cassandre's and he felt Morgan was more than up to the task of protecting her. Keeping Morgan out of the investigation proved a trickier problem, but Horatio had been able to get Morgan see sense.

Leaving Morgan at the hospital with Cassandre so that she would have protection when she checked out, Horatio headed back to the lab for a status meeting with the team on Cassandre's case. Things were progressing well. They had two suspects to call in and question. One was determined on the basis of DNA on a cigarette butt Eric had found, and the other was determined from a previous record of use of the gun that had shot the bullet into Cassandre's shoulder. Horatio chuckled thinking about how easy it had been for Calleigh to place the bullet with a gun and suspect. She never failed him. It was what he loved so much about her.

Satisfied he had done all he could, Horatio had headed home to relax and contemplate the situation he found himself in. An over-protective former lover was nothing new, but for some reason, it threw Horatio off balance. It was not a comfortable thing for him to admit, but there was something about this woman that had a hold of him. He'd always been able to maintain his distance before, but not with this woman. She was different. He knew part of the reason was that she had lost family just like he had to drugs. He understood that sense of kinship well. He didn't understand why it dug underneath that protective veneer of his and exposed him to other feelings about Cassandre. He wasn't prepared for these feelings nor had any idea how to deal with them.

The ringing of his cell phone brought him out of his self-contemplation. Without bothering to look at the display, he flipped the phone open and answered.

"Caine here."

"Lieutenant Caine? Cassandre LaSalle. Have I caught you at a bad time?"

Straightening, Horatio smiled. "Not at all. What can I do for you? And call me Horatio, please."

"Well, I felt the need to talk to you about today, Lieu…Horatio." Cassandre said tentatively.

Chuckling to himself for putting her off balance, Horatio replied "I already told you that you don't owe me an explanation, Ms. LaSalle. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"Then why do I feel like something has gone off balance since Jason showed up? I just…" Cassandre's voice faded off.

Mentally sighing, Horatio acknowledged that Cassandre has just put into words what he had been contemplating. "I feel it too. I'm not sure how to deal with it either. Right now, I need to stay focused on keeping you alive and finding the man who shot you. Do you understand? We will deal with this, but it has to be after I get my job done. I promise you."

"I understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

"How is Mr. Morgan?" Horatio asked in an effort to change the direction of their conversation.

Cassandre chuckled. She was too smart not to pick up on the motives behind his question, but to her credit, she let the topic of them go for now. "He's being his usual pain in the tail end. He's already told off two of your officers for being sloppy, and he's refusing to let me eat dinner in the restaurant downstairs. If this keeps up, I'll happily strangle Jason to death before you find my shooter."

"I like the man already." Horatio stated with a rich laugh.

"You would." Cassandre grumbled half-heartedly.

"I need to review some case files yet tonight. Also, I'd like you and Jason to come into my office around noon tomorrow. Would you like to join me for lunch?" Horatio asked.

"I'd love to. We'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Horatio."

Noticing that Cassandre sounded much happier than at the start of their conversation, he wished her a good night's sleep and turned off his cell phone. With a sigh, Horatio opened the files in front of him and began reading.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Fake Pill Box**

Horatio was in his office, poring over the LaSalle file by 7:00am. They had managed to find their first suspect in the early hours of the morning at a seedy strip club on the south shore. He was in lock-up at the moment. He would be moved to an interrogation room as soon as Horatio was ready to question him.

Antonio Moretti was a confused kid from a bad neighbourhood with a string of misdemeanors before he turned eighteen. Then young Mr. Moretti went big time. He began dealing for the Alvarez family and soon he had risen up the ranks to second in command of the entire crime organization. But even the ambitious make mistakes, like leaving DNA behind at a crime scene, thought Horatio with a sense of satisfaction. He closed the file, rang holding to have Mr. Moretti brought up, and headed to the break room to grab a coffee before walking over to the interrogation wing.

Taking a deep breath and pushing the last of his lingering thoughts of Cassandre out of his mind, Horatio opened the door, walked up the table, and let the file in his hand hit the table top with a rather loud snap.

"Mr. Moretti? Lieutenant Caine. I'd like to ask you some questions about your whereabouts two days ago. Specifically, I'm interested in where you were Monday afternoon. "

Moretti looked up at him with a cocky grin Horatio had seen many times before. They were always so confident right before they tripped over their own stupidity, he thought.

"Yeah, and what of it? I was making time with my girl Candie at the club. Why? Somebody piss you off, Caine?" Moretti's arrogance was flowing off of him in waves.

Horatio smiled inside. He paused for a moment, and then asked "Is that so, Mr. Moretti?"

"Yeah. Why? You think I don't make time with the ladies?"

"No, Mr. Moretti. I'm sure you do. I'm just wondering why you would be at the Orlando Convention Centre at the same time that you claim to be with your lady friend." Horatio stated quietly and casually.

Moretti turned a rather sickly colour of white. Horatio couldn't help the inner satisfaction he felt at the tell-tale sign that he had caught this filthy criminal red-handed.

"I'm waiting, Mr. Moretti." Horatio prompted after a moment's silence.

"I want a lawyer. Now." came the rather subdued and quiet reply.

HHHHHHHHHH

After a few more questions and the appearance of a lawyer to assist Antonio Moretti, Horatio had managed to get a sample of the man's D.N.A. and a sample cigarette to compare against the evidence Eric had found. Moretti was sitting in lock-up, happy to cooperate once he realized he was on the hook for shooting a foreign national. He had no idea who Cassandre was and appeared to be rather shocked that he was a suspect in her shooting. Horatio didn't think Moretti was their guy, but he needed to be sure. Aside from that, Moretti was definitely hiding something. Horatio had every intention of finding out what.

Glancing at his watch, Horatio realized it was almost lunchtime. He wanted to meet Cassandre out front of the building. Sweeping his coat off the back of his chair, he shrugged into it and then made sure he had his wallet, badge, keys, and gun before walking out the door.

Down the hall, watching as Horatio left his office, Calleigh smiled. She hadn't seen that kind of bounce in Horatio's step in a long time.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio exited the building into the sunshine. He pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. Placing his hands on his hips, he scanned the parking lot to see if Cassandre and Jason had arrived yet. Not seeing them, he leaned back against the wall next to the door, pulled out his cell phone, and began reviewing his text messages.

He thought he heard someone call his name and glanced up.

The sound of gunfire erupted on the heels of the call out to him. Horatio took cover behind the nearest vehicle, drawing his gun from its holster quickly and efficiently. Now armed and prepared, he took a look over the hood of the vehicle he was behind and scanned the parking lot.

Cassandre and Morgan were pinned down behind a vehicle halfway between him and the street. She appeared uninjured, as did Morgan, who had his gun drawn and was scanning for the shooter. Reaching for his cell phone, Horatio quickly dialed a number and waited for an answer.

"Not a good time…" was the abrupt answer to his call.

"Where is the shooter?" Horatio interrupted Morgan's irate greeting.

"I don't know. We're fine but pinned down." Morgan replied.

"Help should be on the way. Let me see if I can draw the shooter out." Horatio told Morgan.

Moving behind the centre of the car, Horatio checked his gun and hefted it in his hands. Slowly he rose up from behind the car. Sure enough, a shot rang out and chipped the brick wall of the police administration building behind him. As he ducked back down behind the car, Horatio saw Morgan stand up and fire in the area of some palm trees at the edge of the parking lot, near the road.

Horatio moved back to the hood area of the car and scanned the area where Morgan had fired. He detected a small movement in the small grove of trees. Taking quick aim, Horatio fired off two shots. Less than a second later, a body fell out of the grove and lay on the ground unmoving.

Picking up his cell phone again, Horatio instructed Morgan to stay put.

When other officers arrived, Horatio let them handle the shooter. He knew that Internal Affairs was going to have some questions for him. First, he wanted to check on Cassandre. He walked over to where she and Morgan were standing. Morgan was arguing with an officer about having to surrender his weapon. Horatio intervened and settled the matter by having Calleigh take the weapon and promise to do the ballistics testing quickly in order to return the weapon to Morgan. That appeared to appease the man for the moment.

With Morgan settled, Horatio turned to Cassandre. Reaching out a hand to rest on her shoulder near the crease of her neck, he looked into her eyes. Cassandre leaned into his touch and he saw the fear in her eyes subside quickly to be replaced by another emotion. He was both awed and uncomfortable by Cassandre's reaction.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Horatio asked.

"Maintenant, oui. Thank you Horatio." She replied before stepping closer to him and leaning against his side. He put an arm around her waist and gave her the time she needed to collect herself. At the same time, he glanced over her head at Morgan, indicating with a tilt of his head that they should move inside the police administration building.

Once inside, Horatio ushered both Morgan and Cassandre into the break room. He offered them both a drink. Morgan requested a coffee, but Cassandre shook her head. Morgan reached to take her hand in his, which caused Horatio to have to fight off a mild sense of irritation.

Once Cassandre was somewhat calm, Horatio asked to speak to Morgan outside. After giving Cassandre a final penetrating look to make sure she was fine, Morgan stepped out into the hallway with Horatio.

As Jason opened his mouth, Horatio held up his hand.

"I know what you're going to say, and I'm going to find out who it was. Just give me time to figure it out." Horatio cut Jason off assertively.

"It won't be easy protecting her. You need to figure this out and fast. If you don't, you can count on the fact that I will." Jason stated bluntly.

"I understand your concern and frustration here Morgan, I do. This needs to be handled delicately. But rest assured I will handle it swiftly and without mercy." Horatio stared Jason down as he made his position clear.

Unlike others, Jason didn't back down. It both surprised Horatio and increased his respect for the man.

"Make sure you do." Jason turned away and went back into the break room to sit with Cassandre.

Sighing, Horatio took one last look at Cassandre, and then strode down the hall to talk to the one person he could trust to figure this out.

HHHHHHHHHH

Thirty minutes after his conversation with Jason Morgan, Horatio had convened an impromptu meeting in the lab's conference room. He had his team, Jason Morgan, and Cassandre in the room, with Mac Taylor on conference along with a Constable from the Major Crimes Unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Lunch had been ordered in for everyone, and they were brainstorming options. With everyone working together on this problem, Horatio was hoping for an idea.

"No, we haven't found the suspect connected to the gun that was used to shoot Ms. LaSalle yet. We have a bulletin out for him. We should have him soon." Horatio replied to a question from the RCMP officer.

"So do you have an identity for today's shooter?" came the next question from Mac Taylor.

"Yes, but we have nothing on him. His name is Etienne Morneaux. Anything you can tell us, Mr. LeDuc?" Horatio directed his question the RCMP officer. He was asked to hold on a moment and heard the tapping of keyboard keys for a moment. After a brief pause, the RCMP officer began speaking with Cassandre in rapid French. After just a moment her facial expression changed, and Horatio became a little concerned at the anger and fear mixed in her face.

Jason must have been just as concerned, as he reached to take Cassandre's hand. When she turned to him, he stated simply "Talk to me."

"Jason, it's him." was all she said.

From the hardening of Jason's jaw and eyes, Horatio had a sinking feeling he knew who "him" was.

HHHHHHHHHH

He began the task given to him by collecting the information on everyone in the department. Then, he pulled the files of the criminals that Cassandre LaSalle had put behind bars during her career. Somewhere in the mess of information was the connection that would lead him to the traitor.

And he was going to find the traitor no matter what. Horatio was counting on him.

HHHHHHHHHH

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews! They are a very pleasant and wonderful surprise. This chapter is more of a connecting chapter than anything else. Things are about to get VERY interesting ;-)


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: The Fake Pill Box**

"Jason, it's him." was all Cassandre said.

From the hardening of Morgan's jaw and eyes, Horatio had a sinking feeling he knew who "him" was. It took all his willpower and determination to not say a word and be patient.

Morgan searched Cassandre's eyes for a moment, and then turned to Horatio.

"We have a serious problem." was all Horatio got aside from a steely-eyed angry stare.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio cleared everyone out of the room and thanked the R.C.M.P. officer before disconnecting the call. He kept Mac Taylor on the phone, but now the conference consisted of himself, Mac, Cassandre, and Morgan.

Squatting down in front of Cassandre's chair, Horatio took her hand in his and absently stroked the back of it. Taking a deep steadying breath, Horatio opened Cassandre's personal Pandora's box.

"Talk to me."

Cassandre took a deep breath herself and clasped Horatio's hand tightly in hers.

"Claude Devereaux." was the name that left her lips with a vicious snarl. Looking into her eyes, Horatio could easily read the pain, disgust, and anger there.

"Devereaux runs a drug smuggling ring in Quebec City, Quebec. He's been number one on the 'we want to take him down so badly we can taste it' list of the R.C.M.P. for the last 20 years. He's like Teflon. Every time the authorities get close to him, he manages to get out of harm's way. There's never been a way to stop him. The drugs that killed our son came through his organization's pipeline. This one is personal." Morgan explained, in a tight and angry tone.

Horatio shifted his weight back and moved slightly back from Cassandre. Much as he wanted to comfort her, he sensed now was not the time.

"It's been my personal crusade to take him down for years. He's the reason I began this career. I can't believe he would be so bold as to come after me directly." Cassandre told Horatio with a tremble in her voice.

Horatio pondered this information for a moment and came to a swift conclusion.

"This changes nothing. That said, you're no longer going to stay in a hotel under Morgan's guard. We need something more secure. You're coming home with me during my off hours and Morgan will guard you the rest of the time. I'm not taking any more chances with your safety. This Devereaux won't get another shot at you as long as I have anything to say about it, and I most definitely do." Horatio stated in a tone that brooked no argument.

Morgan glanced up and met Horatio's eyes. He appeared about to say something, but decided against it after seeing Horatio's expression. He simply nodded his agreement with Horatio's statement.

"Give me your address, and I'll go over there now to check out the safety measures that need to be added to your home." Jason said. Horatio acknowledged Jason's statement with a tight nod. He quickly scribbled his address on a piece of paper and gave it to Jason.

"Mr. Morgan? If you tell the officer outside the door to take you to the ballistics lab, Calleigh is done with your gun. She has it ready for you." Horatio informed Jason. Jason raised a hand in understanding as he headed out the conference room door.

HHHHHHHHHH

Mac Taylor had agreed to send him all the information that the N.Y. P.D. had on Devereaux, which Mac told him was extensive. Apparently, Devereaux dealt his poison into the New York City area. That was the end of the conference call. Finally, Horatio was alone in the conference room with Cassandre.

"C'mere, sweetheart." Horatio stood up and pulled Cassandre up and into his arms. He held her lightly as she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder with her face in the crook of his neck. She trembled slightly from the remains of her adrenaline rush from the shooting and her upset over the information that they all now knew who was trying to kill her. Horatio lightly stroked her back until she had calmed down.

He pulled back from Cassandre but kept physical contact with her by moving his hands to cup her tear-streaked face. He searched her eyes, hoping for a clue as to what he could do to help her. As he looked at Cassandre, something in her eyes changed. The sadness was slowly replaced by a new awareness.

Still watching her eyes, Horatio felt Cassandre slowly move towards him. Finally, their foreheads were touching, heads resting against each other. Their noses touched and Horatio gave in to what he was now sure they both wanted. He took her lips in a gentle, sweet kiss.

Cassandre's hands moved the lapels of his suit jacket as her lips yielded to his. She pressed her body to his, and Horatio thought he felt her relax and lighten under his touch as his arms came around her. Careful and not wanting to push Cassandre too far, Horatio pulled back slightly from her. She murmured in protest but let him pull back.

Horatio savored the moment just a little longer while he rested his head against Cassandre's and tried to steady his erratic breathing. When he had regained some semblance of control, he grasped Cassandre's upper arms and pushed her back so that he could look in her eyes.

What he saw in her eyes stunned him. That was the moment he knew he was falling in love with this incredibly strong, dedicated, and loving woman. He was in deep trouble.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio and his team spent the rest of the day compiling information and building a profile on Claude Devereaux and his organization. Cassandre was intimately involved in all the details of the case now, as her knowledge and understanding of Devereaux outweighed every scrap of information they had on the drug lord. Horatio admired her ability to shelve her personal feelings and the upsets of the day in order to do the job at hand. He respected her greatly. She was just amazing. He made a mental note to tell her that the first chance he had a private moment with her. He also found her ability to push around Canadian law enforcement to get what she wanted nothing short of amazing. It seemed that whatever her official title and position in Canada, even the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police treated her like she was a judge that could issue a warrant at the drop of a hat. They caved in to her every demand without a fight and seemed to almost fall over themselves to help her. What did attract him to her was the way she switched in her phone conversations between English and French without pause. It was downright sexy, as was she.

She was about five and a half feet tall, slim without being 'skinny', and in good physical shape. Her hair was long, flowing, and dark brown. She had wide azure eyes with high cheeks and full lips. She was definitely a good looking woman. Behind those looks though, she had an incredibly powerful and talented intelligence that she wasn't afraid to use. She had a strict moral code and values to match that except for her association with Jason Morgan. He had a feeling that the association stretched back to a time when Morgan wasn't on the wrong side of the law. He had to give Cassandre credit for her loyalty to those she cared about. It inspired a return of that loyalty in those around her. They wanted to do well to show her how much they cared for her. It was in everything from Mac Taylor's assistance to Jason Morgan's determination to keep her alive and well. She was dragging the same type of loyalty and determination out of him as well, Horatio realized.

Finally, they had done all they could for the day. It was almost time to quit. Horatio just needed to check in with one person before they could head home.

HHHHHHHHHH

His cell phone rang. Seeing Horatio's name on the display, he answered right away.

"I haven't got anything yet. I'm still piecing it all together."

Horatio said something to the man. His reply was swift and confident. "When I have your traitor, I'll let you know immediately, don't worry. I'm going to find him."

Having settled the urgency for the moment, he hung up the phone and turned back to his work. Horatio was getting anxious. That wasn't a good sign. It was going to be a very long night.

HHHHHHHHHH

_Author's Note: Happy Victoria Day 2012! Today marks the annual celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday in Canada. She was the Queen that signed and put into law the British North America Act, which made Canada its own country._


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Fake Pill Box**

Horatio softly closed the front door of his home behind Cassandre. She had stepped across the threshold tentatively and was now looking around the living room of his home with keen and overly observant eyes. Without conscious thought, she slowly put her travel bags on the floor and then drifted forward into his living room.

On the front wall, she paused to look at the photographs hung up there. He had pictures of the team, an old one of Megan, one of himself and Raymond as children, and a recent photo of himself, Yelina, and Ray Jr. The furniture along that wall was low, dark coloured, and had several books and a few candles resting on top. The side wall contained a shelving unit full of music and movies. In the centre of the wall was his entertainment unit with a sliding door to his patio. The back wall contained book shelves littered with books on a variety of subjects from criminal psychology to philosophy and some classic science fiction. The centre of the room contained two low-slung deep brown couches and a coffee table running down the middle of both.

Horatio walked up behind Cassandre, cupped her elbow in his hand, and lead her to one of the couches. He indicated she should sit down with his free hand. When she had, he turned towards the kitchen. Opening his fridge, he took out two bottles of cold water and returned the living room, offering one to Cassandre as he took a seat on the couch opposite her.

"Welcome to my home, sweatheart." Horatio rasped.

Cassandre chuckled, put the bottle of water down on the coffee table, and reached out to take Horatio's hand. "It's beautiful."

Entwining their fingers, Horatio mentally sighed as he accepted that with Cassandre under his roof, there was no way he could keep his distance from her. "Relax and enjoy. I'll take your bags to your room. How does barbecued chicken with Greek salad and white wine sound for dinner? We can eat out on the patio." Horatio asked.

"You're spoiling me. That sounds perfect." Cassandre replied.

With a low chuckle, Horatio kissed Cassandre's hand, let it go and rose from the couch to make the preparations.

Thirty minutes later, Horatio and Cassandre were out on his patio enjoying a glass of wine while the chicken cooked. The rest of the meal was prepared and on the table waiting.

"…and I'm standing there looking at the Prime Minister as he tells me that the proposed legislation means they no longer need a warrant to obtain general information for criminal investigation purposes. As much as I loved his initiative, I wanted to scream at him how much of an idiot he was for trying to push through legislation that would never pass the Supreme Court's test of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Fortunately, the general public in Canada saved me having to make the argument myself when they mounted a Twitter campaign to demonstrate their extreme displeasure with the proposed law. We'll call that particular incident the not-so-great part of my job." Cassandre sighed.

"That's one thing I'm very conscious of every time we work a case. I will not violate the Constitution or the laws to catch the law breakers. In my line of work, it's a sure way to ensure that a criminal walks on the charges." Horatio concurred.

They ate their dinner and continued to talk about everything from Canada/U.S.A. relations to their favourite philosophers. Cassandre was a most charming dinner companion, and Horatio found himself dreading the end of their evening. She had drawn him in- hook, line, and sinker.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio had given Cassandre the two cent tour of his home and left her to settle into her temporary home. He was full of energy and decided to practice some Tai-Chi to see if he could settle himself before bed. He practiced on the patio for an hour, then came inside and had a shower. He silently returned to his room and ran through his usual before bed routine. Finally finished, Horatio turned out the lights and settled into bed.

An hour later, he cursed his decision to put Cassandre in the room next to his, as he could hear her every move. She was restless and it was making him restless as well. Eventually, unable to take it anymore, he rose and padded down the hallway to the door to her room. He knocked gently on the door twice.

After what felt like forever, Cassandre opened the door, looking tired yet sexy as sin. A quick glance in her eyes told him that she was in emotional pain. He watched her for a moment as she stood in front of him. She didn't look away, nor did she move towards him. Coming to a quick decision, Horatio reached out and pulled her into his arms to just hold her.

Cassandre sighed and snuggled into him. She desperately wanted the comfort of his embrace and the escape and temporary forgetfulness he could offer her.

Knowing how vulnerable Cassandre was, Horatio came to a decision. He lifted Cassandre into his arms and walked back down the hallway to his own bedroom. He put her in his bed and joined her. She rose up on her elbows and pushed back from him.

"It's Ok, sweetheart. I just want to hold you tonight, nothing more." Horatio whispered to her.

He gently pulled her back into his arms, slowly rubbing her arm as he did so. Eventually, he heard her breathing even out in sleep, and he settled back to get some rest. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio put the finishing touches on the mushroom omelets with French toast and fresh squeezed orange juice he was making for breakfast. He had risen and started cooking breakfast while Cassandre was still asleep. He hadn't wanted her to wake up with him still holding her and feel awkward. He was hoping the smell of fresh brewed coffee would entice her to wake up on her own.

He didn't need to wait long before she came out into the kitchen, looking gorgeously disheveled. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and gave him a grateful smile as she accepted a cup of coffee from him. He motioned her to the table and put down their plates. She thanked him quietly and then sat down to eat.

They were partway through breakfast when Cassandre put her fork down and gave Horatio a steady, penetrating look. "Do we need to talk about last night?" she asked.

"I was there for you when you needed me. That's all there is to it. We're fine, Cassandre." Horatio reassured her.

To reinforce his statement, Horatio reached across the table and took Cassandre's hand in his. He raised it his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm. He enjoyed the slight tremble that he felt go through her and the sound of her sigh.

Getting up, Horatio pulled Cassandre up as well. "The shower is all yours."

As Cassandre wandered down the hall to the bathroom, Horatio began cleaning the kitchen. It was five minutes before he even realized that he was humming show tunes.

HHHHHHHHHH

He'd found something that tied Claude Devereaux to the M.D.P.D. Claude had made a donation to the Chief of Police's election campaign two years ago. It wasn't a sizeable donation, but it was a place to start. Now he just had to follow the connections until he came across the one that Horatio was looking for.

He hoped he had the answer soon. Horatio was counting on him.

HHHHHHHHHH

_Author's Note: The little discussion about violating the Charter and the "twitter" campaign was real news up here in Canada back in March. Just google #donttoewsmebro or #viciswatching and you'll find the articles about the whole thing. My apologies if I seem to not understand U.S. unique situations such as how a Chief of Police gets the job. Here they are interviewed and chosen just like any other job._


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Fake Pill Box**

Horatio paused for a moment while reviewing the documents in front of him. He'd come into the office to find a rather thick collection of faxes from the New York Police Department, the State Police, the F.B.I., and the R.C.M.P. on his desk. Claude Devereaux apparently got around. The sheer volume of the case files he'd been sent was almost daunting, and yet he forced himself to go through them knowing that somewhere in these files was the little piece of information that would lead him to a way to stop Devereaux from harming Cassandre.

Cassandre. He leaned back in his office chair for a moment and closed his eyes. He could still feel her presence, even though she was now ensconced in an office down the hall. He remembered the light touches, the intimacy of the two of them sharing a bed last night, and the last look and touch before she went to settle in and get to work down the hall. For a moment, he struggled to refocus on the files in front of him, so strong was his desire to go down the hall to her. She definitely had a hold over him now.

Turning back to the mountain of files on his desk, Horatio started reading again where he had left off, when a name in one of the R.C.M.P. files caught his eye. He re-read it to make sure he'd seen it correctly. He quickly turned to his computer to do a search of previous cases. After a brief time, he had what he was looking for. Printing out the information on the screen, Horatio shrugged into his suit coat, picked up the print out, and strode down the hall calling out for everyone to gather in the conference room in five minutes.

HHHHHHHHHH

"Jose Riaz." Horatio stated bluntly to the assembled group, plus guests on the teleconference.

He got a host of mixed reactions to his statement. The Miami contingent looked at each other with a mixture of dread and anger. Cassandre leaned forward with an immediate question.

"What about that two-bit Brazilian drug smuggler?"

"Did you know he runs drugs for Claude Devereaux?" Horatio asked Cassandre.

"Yes. He's been doing that for at least the last five years. What of him?" Cassandre asked.

"Did you know that the Mala Noche, his deceased brother Antonio's gang is based here in Miami?" Horatio demanded.

"Of course not! Do you think I would have come here if I had…" Cassandre began only to be cut off by a voice on the phone.

"Madam LeSalle. You must stop speaking maintenant!" That directive was followed by a rapid-fire stream of french words that Horatio couldn't make out. Whatever was said made Cassandre very unhappy as she began arguing back quite vehemently in french with the representative of the R.C.M.P. on the other end of the phone. Although he couldn't understand the words, the tone of the conversation was quite telling, particularly when Cassandre stood up, cast one last look of disgust at the teleconference phone, and then marched out of the conference room and down the hall muttering in french.

After Cassandre's abrupt departure from the room, all fell quiet for a moment. Finally the silence was broken by a simple question.

"Somebody want to tell me what the hell that was all about?" asked Jason Morgan in confusion.

HHHHHHHHHH

Horatio caught up with Cassandre in her office, after taking care of everyone else. He had a few choice words for the R.C.M.P. representative on the phone but that could wait until he'd talked to Cassandre. He set Eric and Calleigh on the task of getting everything they could on Riaz from Guns and Gangs, put Ryan on reviewing the files in his office, and asked Mac to send whatever he had from his Guns and Gangs division. He's sent Morgan on a time waster errand to get him out of the way for now. With all that done, he could now give Cassandre his undivided attention. He approached her office, walked through the open door, closed it behind him and locked it, then closed all the blinds.

Turning to Cassandre, he made a soft entreaty. "Please talk to me."

Cassandre kept her back ramrod straight and refused to look at him. After she muttered something in french, she make one simple statement that incited his anger like nothing else could have.

"They used me as bait to try and catch them all."

"What?"

Turning around to face him Cassandre stated bluntly "They used me as bait to try and catch Riaz and Devereaux." The look of anger on her face spoke volumes.

"Your own country's law enforcement endangered your life blindly and stupidly hoping to lure out a pair of high profile drug dealers?" Horatio's mind and emotions were reeling at the implications.

"Yes!" Cassandre spat out in disgust. Horatio took a step towards Cassandre just as she turned her back on him again. At that moment, his cell phone rang. Checking the display, he knew he had to take the call. Cursing under his breath, he turned and walked out of her office.

"What have you got for me?" he asked the man on the other end of the phone.

"I found your traitor." was the somber and dark reply.

HHHHHHHHHH

After everyone had calmed down, Horatio pulled all of them back into the conference room. He had a plan to catch the entire merry band of drug dealers and ensure Cassandre's safety. It would be tricky, but he was sure he could do it. Now, he just needed everyone's cooperation.

"Cassandre, you're returning to the hotel tonight. Mr. Morgan and four of my uniforms will guard you until tomorrow morning, when you'll get on a commercial flight back to Canada. Eric, Calleigh, and Ryan, we will continue processing the evidence until we can tie Cassandre's shooting to Riaz. We'll bring him in for questioning late today so that it's harder for him to get a lawyer and get out of holding. Frank, you're going to help me with these case files that New York and the R.C.M.P. sent us until you're ready to coordinate with Guns and Gangs to pick up Riaz. Any questions?"

There was an uproar from Cassandre and Jason which Horatio stopped by holding up his hand and stating they would discuss it in the privacy of his office. The rest of the group simply collected their notes and headed off to do their assigned tasks.

On the way to his office with Cassandre and Jason, Horatio sent Jason a text message. Jason looked it over quickly then looked at Horatio and nodded. When they reached his office, Horatio closed the door behind them. Cassandre immediately let loose on him.

"Why are you sending me back to Canada? How does this make me safer? What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

Jason interceded before Horatio could say a word.

"Cassandre, trust him. He knows what he's doing. Please?"

"Since when do you defend him? You don't even LIKE him!" she snapped back at him.

Jason's face went stone cold. "Cassandre…"

Cassandre's head shot back as if Morgan had slapped her. Whatever it was that she saw in the expression on Morgan's face had done the trick. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she conceded to what Horatio and Jason both wanted like a hurt child.

Not knowing what else to say, Horatio went to Cassandre and tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eye.

"I'm so sorry, but this is the way it has to be."

Turning on her heels, Cassandre stalked out of his office with Morgan right behind. Hopefully soon she would understand what he was doing. At least, he hoped she would understand. If she didn't, he was in for a world of pain.

HHHHHHHHHH

_Author's Note: My apologies for the lack of updates in the last few months. I've been busy with other matters. Hopefully, I'll be able to update a little more frequently now. This is sort of a plot move-along chapter. The next chapter should be the last one._


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Fake Pill Box**

Horatio had put all his plans in place. It hadn't been easy with the distraction of the wounded look in Cassandre's eyes when he had told her she was being shipped back to Canada. He understood why she felt so hurt, but he had no choice.

After he'd finished everything he needed to do at the office, he'd shrugged into his suit jacket, picked up his gun, sunglasses, and wallet off the edge of his desk and walked out the door, making sure to lock his office before he wandered down the hall, into the elevator, and then out of the building. Glancing up at the sky, he sighed, feeling at loose ends and resisting the urge to do something he knew he couldn't.

Getting in his Hummer, he drove aimlessly until he pulled up at his favorite beach. He stared at the waves coming in to brush the beach for longer than he was willing to admit, then got out of his vehicle and wandered up the beach with no direction or goal in mind. He was seeking a way to soothe his own soul, even as he knew that wasn't going to be possible. Sitting down on a nearby rock, Horatio allowed himself just a moment of self-indulgent pain over the way his relationship with Cassandre had turned out.

After a moment, he raised his head, took a last long look out at the ocean, and then walked back to his Hummer with purpose and determination.

HHHHHHHHHH

Cassandre was ready for bed. She was emotionally raw and exhausted. Everything that had happened to her in the last week would have been enough to break a lesser person, but she was strong. It had hurt her so much that Horatio was suddenly sending her away. He had taken what had passed between them and tossed it aside so easily. It hurt her to know he hadn't cared for her as deeply as she had cared for him. She had started to fall in love with him.

No use dwelling on what she couldn't change, she thought. She was finished trying to work for the night and was shutting down her computer. Jason was staying in the common area of the suite they were sharing. She heard muffled voices but ignored them. She just didn't care anymore. As she turned away from the desk in her room towards the bathroom to prepare for bed, there was a knock at her door.

Without any energy or enthusiasm, she went to the door and opened it, expecting to see Jason there. She pulled back in surprise at the sight of Horatio.

"May I come in for a moment?" he asked her softly.

Unsure why he had come to see her and wanting to protect herself from more hurt, she nodded her head hesitantly in agreement. Horatio stepped into her room and quietly closed the door. Before saying anything, he went over to her desk where he put down his wallet, gun, and sunglasses. He took off his jacket and carelessly threw it over the back of the desk chair. Straightening out his shoulders in an effort to relax some of the tension in them, Horatio turned to look at Cassandre.

"Sweetheart, we need to talk." Horatio began to say only to stop as Cassandre turned away from him to hide the pain she was feeling. Overcome with guilt, Horatio walked up to her and with a hand at her chin turned her head to face him. The tears forming in her eyes were his undoing.

Roughly he pulled her into his arms despite her resistance. Holding her close, he whispered reassurances and apologies. After a moment, he pulled back from her to frame Cassandre's face in both hands.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart. Please believe me when I tell you I'm falling in love with you. This is hurting me as much as it is you, but it has to be done. I can't explain…" he started to tell her even as she tried to pull back from him. He watched the protective walls start to fall in her eyes and knew she was shutting down on him. Not willing to lose her now, he did the only thing he could think of to reach her before he lost her completely.

Moving quickly, he captured her lips in a kiss that he hoped would convey his feelings to her where words had failed. It took a moment, but he felt a response from her and rejoiced in it. As her lips began to move in response to his, he deepened the kiss. It wasn't long before he was lost to her and the kiss they were sharing.

Cassandre had fought hard to remain immune to Horatio, but it was hopeless. No sooner had he kissed then she was lost to her feelings for him and the traitorous need that she felt for him. She began to kiss him back and soon she was overwhelmed by the power of the kiss and the man that now held her in his arms.

He pulled back from the kiss to nuzzle along her jaw line to her ear, where he nipped gently at her ear lobe before moving down to nibble and kiss her neck gently. She sighed in pleasure and pulled him closer. Feeling her welcoming response, Horatio continued to explore her neck for a moment before pulling back to look into her eyes, asking an unspoken question.

Horatio searched her eyes for a moment before he saw the answer he was looking for. Moving towards the bed in her suite with her still in his arms, he sat down on the bed. He pulled her down to sit next to him before kissing her again as they both fell onto the bed in each other's arms. Much later they were cuddled up together in the bed whispering to each other about their love.

HHHHHHHHHH

Cassandre woke slowly, not wanting to leave the wonderful cocoon of warmth and contentment she was in. As she came awake by slow degrees, she remembered the night before and making love with Horatio. She had no doubts about how he felt about her, despite the confusion that seemed to surround them and the future of their relationship. While she didn't expect him to be next to her, she couldn't hold back the small hurt she felt that he was gone and she was alone.

Resigning herself to a day that was going to be far more hurtful and stressful than it was going to be happy and relaxing, she rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for one of the most difficult days of her life.

When she stepped out of her room into the main room of the suite, Jason was waiting patiently with a coffee in front of him on the low table in front of the couch and his gun apart. He was inspecting it in preparation for its potential use later in the day. Cassandre hoped he wouldn't need to use it at all, but she resigned herself to the fact that he would likely need to.

Turning away from Jason, she walked to the breakfast bar to get a tea and small plate of food. She might as well not face the day on an empty stomach.

HHHHHHHHHH

Jason escorted her out of the hotel suite, down the elevator, and into a waiting van. His eyes moved constantly, surveying every person and object around them. He was on guard for even the any movement that didn't look natural or the slightest thing out of place. He knew that Devereaux's men would strike at Cassandre, he just didn't know where, when, or how. Caine had put a good plan in place, and he hoped it would work. The plan had caused Cassandre pain, which Jason didn't like, but he could hardly fault the cop for trying to protect her.

The ride to the airport was without incident, which surprised Jason. He had thought that Devereaux would make a move on the streets of Miami with more open space, more escape routes, and less ability for Caine and his men to defend themselves and Cassandre. Devereaux had surprised him.

Jason and Cassandre proceeded to the ticket counter, got Cassandre's boarding pass, and then to airport security. They got through airport security relatively easily, except that he had to get his gun cleared for carry to the plane, where it would be stored in the cargo hold locker. The delay at security with his carry permit and the letter from Caine authorizing his gun was minimal, for which Jason was grateful. They continued to the gate for Cassandre's flight and sat down in an area Jason decided was the best position from a protection standpoint. He and Cassandre sat waiting for her boarding call.

Jason's phone buzzed, telling him he had a text message. He checked the one word message, then replied with a simple yes. The game was definitely afoot now. Jason hoped that Caine knew what he was doing. Jason's head snapped up and eyes focused on the boarding gate desk where CSI Delco was talking in a rather heated but hushed manner with the boarding agent. After showing his badge, Delco finally got the cooperation he was looking for as the agent nodded her head in hesitant agreement.

Delco came over to them and leaned down so that Jason and Cassandre could hear him.

"I've got Cassandre from here Morgan. H told me to put her on the plane using ground access instead of the normal gate. I'll give you a moment to say your goodbyes." Delco stated.

Jason nodded his understanding and rose to give Cassandre a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As he hugged her, he whispered a reassurance and a quick instruction. When Cassandre stiffened in his arms, he reminded her to do as told and all would be fine. Jason let her go and made his way out of the waiting area, glancing back as Delco took Cassandre down a stairwell just behind the boarding agent's desk.

Cassandre followed Eric down the stairwell and paused for a moment to pull out her sunglasses from her purse. The sunlight through the open door was very bright after the darkness of the stairwell. Eric pulled on her arm, apparently impatient with the delay. She resisted his pull to get her glasses on and heard what sounded like a metal ping just past the open door on the tarmac. At that moment, Eric's grip on her arm tightened and she was thrown out the door where she stumbled and fell to the tarmac, completely exposed and unable to even scramble to her feet and run away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandre saw a movement and turned towards it. As she did, a heavy black blanket was thrown over her and she tried to stay calm, remembering what Jason had told her.

After they had covered Cassandre with the bulletproof blanket, Horatio and Jason took up defensive positions around her and waited for the next shot. It wasn't long before another shot was fired at Cassandre and right on the heels of that shot Horatio heard another shot from a different direction.

"All clear Horatio. I got him."

Horatio sighed in relief at the confirmation from Calleigh that she was brought down the sniper. He breathed a quick sigh of relief and then asked another question.

"Frank? Ryan?"

"No worries, H. We've got Delco."

HHHHHHHHHH

With Delco locked up and Devereaux himself confirmed killed by Calleigh's bullet, Horatio had to admit his plan had worked to perfection. Even Morgan looked pretty happy with the overall outcome. Cassandre, however, was another matter. She was grateful to be alive, but not very happy to have been left out of the plan. Horatio finally got everyone and everything else settled and turned to take Cassandre by the elbow and guide her into an interview room in the security offices for some privacy.

Once inside the room with the door closed, his iron-willed control broke and he pulled Cassandre into his arms.

"Sweetheart, I am so sorry I didn't tell you. We had to keep a lid on it because we knew that Eric was the traitor. We couldn't give him the slightest hint that we knew it was him. You have no idea how hard it was to see the hurt in your eyes and be able to do nothing to help soothe it. It hurt me so much, because I am so in love with you." Horatio told her quickly hoping to get past her immediate natural reaction of anger.

"I am so…Attend! Did you just say you're in love with me?" Cassandre asked.

Pulling back to look Cassandre in the eyes, Horatio told her in a way she could definitely understand.

"Oui. Je t'aime."

Cassandre looked startled for a moment and then chuckled.

"I was ready to read you the riot act, and you tell me you're in love with me? Oh, Horatio! What am I going to do with you? After all, since I'm in love with you too, I doubt I'm going to be able to ever get rid of you, am I?" She asked him.

Grinning, Horatio had a quick reply before he kissed Cassandre.

"No, ma'am.

HHHHHHHHHH

_Author's Note: The last chapter __ It's nice to have this story done. I hope you've enjoyed it. Then again, maybe I'll write an Epilogue. I don't know..._


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